Life-preserving belt.



F. J. NEKARDA.

LIFE PRESERVING BELT.

APPLIOATION FILED HAB.23,1910.

981,788, I Patented Jan. 17, 1911;

NIB l STATS PrglENT FRANCIS J. NEKARDA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TOMABEL E. DRAKE, OF ROSELLE PARK, NEW JERSEY.

LIFE-PRESERVING BELT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J. NEKARDA, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inLife-Preserving Belts, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

My invention relates to improvements in flexible air-containing beltssuch as are adapted to be attached to the body for the purpose ofkeeping a person afloat in the water. Difliculties have heretofore beenhad in the way of making these belts readily inflatable and deflatable,and at the same time having them strong enough and reliable to take theplace of the solid cork jackets and other so-called llfe-preservers.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple, inexpensive andabsolutely reliable life-preserver which can be closed up into a smallcompass when not in use, and which when so closed up will expel the air,but which when opened out for attachment to the body will automaticallyadmit air in sufficient quantity to render the life preserver buoyant sothat it will support the person.

I do not claim the invention of distending the belt, but the manner andmeans of doing it perfectly and efiiciently.

My invention relates to the detail construction of the sustaining framesor ribs, and more particularly to the valve arrangement by which the airis admitted into the belt and expelled therefrom, and by which thepressure of the body against the valve tightly seals the belt andconfines the air therein.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar reference characters indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the application of the belt tothe body. Fig. 2 is a broken elevation of the inflated belt. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the belt when infiated. Fig. 1 is a cross section of thebelt and shows in detail the valve construction, and Fig. 5 is a View ofthe deflated and collapsed belt.

An important feature of the belt is the ribs 10 each being made of asingle piece of a generally semi-circular shape so that the convex partwill be next the water and the relatively flat part next the body of thewearer. It has generally been the practice to make these ribs of atleast two pieces, and the end portions of the sections have been likelyto get out of alinement and to work holes through the covering skin. Bymaking them in a single piece of the desired shape this difIicult-y isavoided and they can be made of light, strong material such asaluminum,.though anything suitable can be used. One of the ribs isprovided with an in-bent portion 10 (see Fig. 4) which serves as asocket for the valve shank to be hereinafter referred to. The ribs maybe made larger near the middle portion of the belt than near the ends,so that the belt may be more symmetrical as shown in Fig. 2, and theskin or covering 11 is made of strong tightly woven cloth which isfastened to the ribs by stitching or in any approved manner. After beingconstructed, the whole is dipped in a water-proofing material, whichwill render the skin impervious to water and will close up all needleholes or other slight perforations. At the ends the'belt is providedwith fastening tabs 12, which can be tied together or, if desired,abuckle as 18, or other suitable fastening can be used.

In the socket portion 10 of the rib above referred to is set the shank 11 of the valve 15, and at this point suitable washers 14? can beprovided on each side of the skin or covering, so as to stiffen the partthrough which the valve shank moves. This valve shank is hollow and isprovided near its outer end with perforations 16, through which the aircan flow to the interior of the belt, and the valve is normally pushedout by a spring 17 connecting the shank 14:, with the in-bent portion 10of the rib 10.

It will be observed that if the belt is pushed together endwise, as itreadily can be, because of the flexible covering 11, the air will beexpelled from it and will pass out through the perforation 14. When,however, the belt is again opened, there will be sufficient suctioncaused by the opening of the belt to draw in enough air to fill it. Itis then applied to the body and the valve 15 will be pressed against thebody so as to keep the perforation within the outer surface of the beltand with the inner side of the valve snug against the belt so that noair can escape. In order that the belt may be comfortable to the wearer,the valve 15 is given a smooth, rounded outer surface. It will befurther observed that when the belt isdefiated the tabs 12 can befastened together as shown in Fig. 5 so as to hold the belt in a smalland compact shape. When the belt is to be applied, it is simply openedup endwise and fastened around the body, and the large air area withinthe skin or covering 11 provides sufficient buoyancy to support a personsafely in the water.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent v I l. A life preserving belt comprising aseries of ribs spaced apart and each rib formed of a single piece of thedesired shape, a flexible water-proof covering for the ribs, one of theribs having an in-bent portion forming: a valve socket, a spring pressedvalve seating in the socket, and means for fastening the belt upon thebody.

2. A life preserving belt comprising aseries of ribs spaced apart andeach formed of a single piece of the desired shape, a flexible coveringsecuredto the ribs and made Water: tight after the belt is constructed,a valve 3 the body.

socket supported in one of the ribs on the 1 inner side of the belt, anda spring pressed valve having a hollow shank seating in the socket, andmeans for fastening the belt to 3. A life preserving belt comprising aseries of ribs, spaced apart, and each formed 1 of a single piece of thedesired shape, one of which is provided with a valve socket, a

flexible water-tight covering for the ribs, and a valve having a hollowshank seating in the socket, said shank being provided with air ports.

4. A life preserving belt comprising a series of ribs each made of asingle piece of generally semi-circular shape, a flexible Water-tlghtcovering for the r1bs, means for fastening the belt upon the body, avalve socket supported by one of the ribs on the fiat side of the belt,and a spring held withy in the socket and supporting a valve having ahollow perforated shank.

FRANCIS J. NEKARDAL. lVitnesses WARREN'VB. HUTcHINsoN,

FRANK L STUBBS.

